Extra! Extra! Dead All About It

by Amanda M. Lee

  I jerked my shoulders at the words. “That’s it? You’re not going to try to kill me?” I wasn’t expecting that. Almost everyone who had ever met me at some point or another tried to kill me. Aiken had a lot of reason to hate me – I ruined his plans, after all – but he seemed calm and rational despite the incoming shift to his election coverage.

  “I have no interest in killing you.” Aiken’s smile was cold. “Don’t get me wrong, if killing you could save me I’d do it in a heartbeat. But that’s not possible. In fact, it will only make matters worse. It takes away some of my bargaining power and that doesn’t benefit me in the least.”

  Aiken took me by surprise when he gestured toward the street. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw Derrick and Jake moving from behind sheriff’s department cruisers – at least twenty of their men positioned behind the cars with weapons drawn – and heading in our direction.

  “Oh. How long have you known they were there?”

  “I saw the reflection of the sheriff’s car in the building’s windows.” Aiken pointed for emphasis. “I guess Jake has gotten his warrant.”

  “Yeah.” I pursed my lips. “I wish you would’ve told me that Jake was here. I would’ve been a lot mouthier if I knew. I had some really nasty things saved up for you, but I was afraid you were going to try and kill me or something so I kept them to myself.”

  “Avery, step away from him,” Jake ordered, his gaze dark.

  I ignored the order and remained focused on Aiken.

  “Well, you’ll always have the chance to say those things during my trial,” Aiken offered. “This isn’t goodbye.”

  “No.” I reached over and grabbed his wrists to yank them up. “Put your hands up so you don’t get shot.”

  “Good idea.”

  “I’m full of good ideas.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Aiken’s smile was weak but heartfelt. “I guess you’ll have multiple stories to write today, huh?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I’m going to own the entire front page. I told Fish it was going to happen. Sure, I’m a few days late, but I’m going to scoop the crap out of everyone, so I can’t really complain.”

  “Just make sure you pick a good photo of this. I want to look my best for the election edition.”

  “You’ve got my word.”

  30 Thirty

  I spent the better part of the day answering questions and writing an article about Aiken’s fall from grace. One of The Monitor’s photographers happened to be downtown at the time of the arrest and he got some great shots of Aiken being led away.

  Jake was furious until I told him Aiken sought me out and I was doing nothing but hanging around by the clerk’s office so I could get some color quotes from the workers. After twenty minutes of lecturing me about self-preservation, he ultimately let me off the hook.

  Eliot saw the commotion from the store and came to check it out. He didn’t give me grief about running into trouble – again – but I could tell that talk was yet to come. Instead of arguing, he gave me the keys to his truck so I could head to the office and file my story. Our plans for the evening still held, and the pizza was just being delivered when I let myself into the stairwell that led to his old apartment shortly before eight.

  “The polls just closed,” I announced, smiling when I saw the mountain of food the delivery boy carried. “What did you get?”

  “Pizza. Wings. Salad. Cheesy bread. Brownies. You know. The normal stuff.”

  “You got enough for ten people.” I grabbed the stack of food as Eliot handed the delivery boy a large tip. “I think I can eat all of it if you give me a little time.”

  “I have no doubt that’s true.” Eliot lightened my load by half and we carried it upstairs.

  I kicked off my shoes and switched on the television before getting comfortable with the pizza box on the couch. “So … how was your day? You look really good, by the way. I didn’t get a chance to tell you that earlier.”

  Eliot made a wry face as he shook his head. “I love how you think being cute will get you out of a lecture.” He sat on the couch next to me and opened the container holding the wings. “You’re still going to hear it for going after Aiken.”

  I balked. “I didn’t go after him. I was minding my own business and looking at the building when he came up to me.”

  Eliot was understandably dubious. “I’m sure you understand that I have trouble believing that.”

  “I’m telling the truth.”

  Eliot rubbed his thumb against my cheek as he regarded me for a long beat. “Okay. I’ll let it slide this time … but only this time. I don’t think Aiken was in the mood to hurt you when he tracked you down.”

  “He said he wasn’t trying to hurt me the night on the freeway either,” I offered. “He said he told his guy – and Jake is not releasing that guy’s name until he tracks him down and arrests him – just to frighten me.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel better.” Eliot turned his attention to his wings. “Have you heard anything about Mary Winters?”

  I took a bite of scalding pizza and shook my head, grimacing as I swallowed. “Ugh. I burned my tongue.” I stuck it out in an attempt to stare at it. “That’s going to suck.”

  “That’s why you start with the wings and move on to the pizza,” Eliot said.

  “I like to go against the grain.”

  “Oh, I never would’ve noticed.” Eliot wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin. “You look more relaxed.” He spent a long time looking me up and down. “I thought you were never going to settle when I said goodbye to you this morning, but now you look relaxed.”

  “I just needed to know.”

  “It’s the answers that fuel you. I know that, and yet I occasionally forget.”

  “I knew there was something wrong with Aiken almost from the first,” I said. “I told you – I told Jake, too – and neither one of you believed me.”

  “Oh, here we go.” Eliot rolled his eyes. “I said I thought you were exaggerating. I didn’t say I thought you were wrong.”

  “It turns out I was right.”

  “And I’ll never hear the end of it,” Eliot groused. “Is that what you need to hear? Yes, Avery, you were right about Aiken all along. He was a snake in the grass.”

  I thought the words would make me happy, but the empty pit remained in my stomach. “You know, when I was standing there talking to him I expected to see some remorse. I thought he would pull out the tears and say he was sorry. He was matter-of-fact, though. Not only that, but he didn’t think he did anything wrong.”

  Eliot shot me an interested look. “Does that bother you?”

  “I don’t know. I mean … I get why Mary did what she did. She was dying and wanted to go out in style. I don’t agree with it, but I get it.”

  “But?”

  “But Aiken is another story. It’s as if he had a to-do list and he was marking things off on his way to being governor. Brucker was blackmailing him, so that means he wasn’t a very good guy, but Aiken didn’t seem to care that he authorized a murder. It wasn’t even a concern for him.”

  “It sounds like he’s a sociopath.”

  “More of a narcissist, I think. He recognized what he was supposed to do – what society considered wrong – but he put his needs first. It’s weird. I don’t know what to make of it.” I took another bite of pizza and thoughtfully chewed.

  “Well, what do you think it means for the election?” Eliot asked. “Do you think news broke early enough that Aiken will lose?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. From a story standpoint, it’s good either way. Someone else could eke out the win, and that would be a great story. The candidate might never be legitimate because everyone would always wonder how things would’ve been different if Aiken had been allowed to stay in the race.

  “On the flip side, if Aiken wins, the county administrators will have to jump through hoops to have him removed,” I continued. “The runner-up could be named or they could have
an entirely new election.”

  “And which do you want?”

  “I don’t know. I just want to be able to cover whatever happens. I don’t really care how it turns out.”

  “Yes, you’re easy that way.”

  “I am easy.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Eliot turned his attention to the local news. “When do you think you’ll have your answers?”

  “Probably within two hours.”

  “Well, I can’t wait to see how things go.”

  He wasn’t the only one.

  After finishing dinner, Eliot tossed the boxes, and then poured glasses of soda (I was still on duty) so we could watch the results. They were gearing up for the county commissioner race when he returned to the couch.

  “Here we go.” I rubbed my hands in anticipation. “It’s going to either be Aiken or Justice.”

  Eliot cocked an eyebrow. “How can you be sure?”

  “It’s just a feeling. I know things.”

  “Okay.”

  “No, really I do. For example, I know that Tad put the Aiken bumper sticker on Mary Winters’ car.”

  Eliot was interested despite himself. “How do you know that?”

  “I told Jake to ask Tad on a hunch, and it turns out I was right,” I replied. “Tad admitted it to Jake. He thought he might be able to get Mary tossed out – and maybe even the election results overturned – if things didn’t go his way.”

  “That’s … ridiculous.”

  I shrugged. “That’s Tad.”

  We listened to a rundown from the anchor on Aiken’s arrest, including footage of him in the backseat of a sheriff’s cruiser. I was visible on camera arguing with Jake in the background of a few shots, and Eliot couldn’t stop himself from smirking.

  “I see he wasn’t any happier with the situation than I was.”

  “I hope he and Lauren start having sex soon, because he needs to get some and loosen up.”

  Eliot shot me a suggestive look.

  “I can’t get some until after I file another story. You have to wait.”

  “I guess it’s good I’m a patient man.”

  “For both of us,” I muttered.

  “And we can officially declare a winner in the race,” the newscaster intoned. He looked grave. “It seems the news about Mr. Aiken spread early enough in the afternoon to affect the vote.”

  “It will be Justice,” I announced, rolling the idea through my head. “I guess that’s only fair.”

  “And the winner – in what I’m sure will be a shock to many – is none other than former Commissioner Tad Ludington,” the newscaster announced.

  My mouth dropped open as Eliot broke out in raucous laughter.

  “No way.”

  “We’ll join Commissioner Ludington at his victory party momentarily,” the newscaster added. “It seems people are in high spirits there, as you can imagine.”

  I was dumbfounded when the camera view shifted to Tad, who was doing a little dance … on a table. “I can’t believe this.”

  “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Eliot admitted.

  “Me either.”

  “I mean … on one hand, I’m still not sure he’s not a danger to you. On the other, you’re going to be in a good mood quite often when you bring him down.”

  “I just can’t believe this. I mean … I wasn’t expecting this. I don’t have words to express what I’m feeling. That never happens to me.”

  Eliot’s eyes were somber as they locked with mine. “You don’t know what to say?”

  “No.”

  “That’s good. I think now is the time to tell you my news.”

  “You’re not pregnant, are you?”

  Eliot scowled. “Your mouth seems to be working fine.”

  “Yes, well, the fugue comes and goes.”

  “Well, here’s hoping it stays gone for a bit.” Eliot sucked in a steadying breath. “My mother is coming for a visit and she’s going to stay with us. She can’t wait to meet you – in fact she’s furious she hasn’t met you yet – and she’ll be here in three weeks.”

  That was a lot of information to absorb in a short amount of time. “What?”

  “Yup.” Eliot nodded. “She’ll be here at the start of September. She’s thrilled to spend time with you. I told her you’d try to take vacation time so you could get to know her.”

  I was incensed. “Vacation time? My mortal enemy is back in business. I can’t take vacation time.”

  “We’re talking about my mother.”

  I racked my brain for instances of Eliot talking fondly about his mother and came up empty. “I thought you said your mother was like my mother.”

  “Nobody has a mother like your mother,” Eliot shot back. “As for my mother … she is who she is, just like you.”

  “Oh, well … .” I searched for a way to get out of meeting Eliot’s mother. Mothers didn’t like me. They thought I was rude and … well … rude. “How long have you known?”

  “That she was coming? A few days.” Eliot seemed to be braced for a meltdown.

  Things slipped into place. “And your insistence on smothering me with love and affection over the past few days, that had very little to do with my safety and everything to do with how worried you are about your mother and me sharing a roof.”

  Eliot opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. “I’m a little nervous,” he conceded. “You don’t tend to play well with others. That doesn’t mean I don’t want you safe and wasn’t acting in your best interests this entire week.”

  I had trouble believing him, yet I couldn’t help going gooey when the worry registered in his eyes. “It’ll be fine.” The words were out of my mouth before I thought better of them. “Your mother will love me.”

  Eliot remained immobile.

  “She’ll learn to tolerate me,” I corrected, patting his hand. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out.”

  “You’re awfully calm about this,” Eliot noted. “I expected tears and threats.”

  “Those are probably still to come. I’m off my game because of Tad’s win. There can be no other explanation.”

  Eliot leaned forward and searched my face. “Are you really okay with this?”

  “I’m fine. I mean … she’s a mother. I can deal with mothers. I deal with mine all the time.”

  “You’re not allowed to deal with my mother by pointing her at Derrick and running away,” Eliot warned.

  “That’s fine. I have fifteen other cousins.”

  “I think you’re in shock.” Eliot pressed the back of his hand to my forehead. “Do you want that drink now?”

  I wanted ten drinks. “It will be perfectly okay.” I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince him or myself. “It’s just another adventure, right?”

  Eliot cracked a grin. “Life with you is always an adventure.”

  “I don’t foresee that changing.”

  “I certainly hope not.” He leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss. “This has been quite the day for you, huh?”

  Day? Try week, month, year and decade. In fact, it was turning into quite the life.

  Want more? Sign up for my mailing list. It’s for new releases only, no spam.

  http://eepurl.com/Y6bkf

  About the Author

  I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.

  If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.

  Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.

  If you’re interested in my future works, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or join my mailing list. I do not believe in spam. I only announce new r
eleases or free promotions.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  For more information:

  author@amandamlee.net

  Books by Amanda M. Lee

  An Avery Shaw Mystery

  Who, What, Where, When, Die

  If it Bleeds, it Leads

  Buried Leads

  Shot Off The Presses

  The Preditorial Page

  Misquoted & Demoted

  Headlines & Deadlines

  Misprints & Mistakes

  Bylines & Skylines

  Off the Record

  Unwritten & Underwater

  A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery

  Any Witch Way You Can

  Every Witch Way But Wicked

  Witching You Were Here

  Witching on a Star

  Something to Witch About

  Witch Me Luck

  Life’s a Witch

  Charms & Witchdemeanors

  The Trouble With Witches

  Murder Most Witchy

  A Witch Before Dying

  A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short

  Careful What You Witch For

  Wicked Brew

  On a Witch and a Prayer

  You Only Witch Once

  The Christmas Witch

  Bewitched

  A Solstice Celebration

  Witchdependence Day

  Happy Witchgiving

  Merry Witchmas

  Four-Leaf Clover

  Thistle While You Work

  Landon Calling

  I Dream of Twila

  How Aunt Tillie Stole Christmas

  A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fantasy

  Witchy Tales

  A Witch In Time

  Make A Witch

  A Witchmas Carol

  All My Witches

  An Aisling Grimlock Mystery

  Grim Tidings

  Grim Offerings